Goodbye Beautiful Day
by Acoustical Trance
Summary: I knew my time had ended. My beautiful day had passed. And all I have to say is I'm sorry I can't stay. [Oneshot] [Songfic]


Title: Goodbye Beautiful Day

Summary: "I knew my time had ended. My beautiful day had passed. And all I have to say is I'm sorry I can't stay." --- Oneshot songfic to Douglas Ladnier's "Goodbye Beautiful Day" ---

Disclaimer: Douglas Ladnier and Naruto don't belong to me. Boohoo...

Author's Notes: "Goodbye Beautiful Day" is definitely one of the most gorgeous songs I've ever heard. Douglas Ladnier is currently working on his first CD, so the only place to listen to his music is on his website. Check it out to listen in or find out more.

Also, this is my first oneshot songfic thing. Hope you enjoy.

Inspiration music: "Goodbye Beautiful Day"

Beta Reader(s): I thought about enlisting awesome lil' Josie, but I don't think this thing is quite that important.

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Goodbye Beautiful Day

One shot songfic

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_Time just withers away  
Stealing day after day  
The moon calls &  
Night falls  
Goodbye beautiful day_

Itachi is dead.

That sentence is the most beautiful thing I've ever said. Itachi. Is. Dead.

It just rolls off the tongue.

And seeing his limp body in front of me, Sharingan still swirling as the last of his chakra leaves him? It's wonderful, beautiful.

This night is the first night I've felt peaceful in a long while. I don't know how long I've been kneeling here, watching as the wind dances through my deceased brother's hair, but I can't tear my eyes away from him. Itachi's malice has left him, leaving a contented smirk across his face. There's nothing treacherous about him now. In fact, he looks almost kind, maybe handsome.

"_Thank you for ending me, little brother." _

Itachi's last words brought on emotions that I thought I'd long ago forgotten how to process. I was angry. I was happy. I was confused, saddened, alone. My satan had just been killed by my hand, and I couldn't decide what to make of it.

"Sasuke-kun..."

_Seems time never can stay  
Just keeps running away  
The stars fly &  
Hearts cry  
Leaving nothing left to say_

I shivered when Sakura spoke. She sounded just as I felt, so many emotions conflicting within her that she just couldn't decide on one.

I turned to see her. The medic-nin was standing behind me, one hand clutching her wounded stomach, the other brushing a few strands of short, pink hair in an attempt to look remotely normal.

"You've done it, then?" She asked, walking forward cautiously. I did nothing but nod. She smiled. Damn, she looked like she was about to cry.

"Are you coming back to us, then?" She whimpered. I did nothing. I gave her no nod, but turned back to Itachi's lifeless body. She knelt behind me and I felt her hand land lightly on my shoulder. "He's dead Sasuke-kun. W-why can't you leave him behind?"

I knew the him she was referring to was not my brother. Orochimaru would want this body soon, and she didn't seem to understand that I couldn't go back now. She'd never understood.

Sakura's head landed against my back and I felt her arms snake around my waist. My head tilted up toward the night sky and I watched the stars burn with more fascination than I'd ever had before.

My heart felt heavy when I began feeling hot tears against my back. The cherry blossom was weeping and their was nothing I could say.

_Goodbye beautiful day  
I must be on my way  
Stop the rain & ease my pain  
I'm sorry I can't stay_

We stayed like that for what seemed like eternity, and the entire time Sakura cried. Maybe she understood now, that I had to leave her again. Maybe she didn't, and she was just happy to be here with me.

"Sakura, you know I can't stay," I said nonchalantly. She stiffened and her grip tightened. That's when I realized that her tears weren't the alone thing dampening my back.

"You're bleeding."

"I know."

"How?"

"I was fighting too, remember?"

The truth is, I didn't remember. I only remebered I was an avenger.

My hands clasped hers and pried her off of me. I stood, every muscle in my body aching. Blood crusted my hands. I couldn't even tell who's blood it was.

I felt like I was dying, or maybe I was already dead. Shadows fell across the two of us as a cloud drifted across the moon. Lightning flashed from another not too far off in the distance.

I could feel Sakura's eyes on me and I couldn't decide what to say. I wanted to tell her I didn't love her, because I believed that to be the truth. But something stopped me. No, I didn't finally realize I was madly, deeply, truly in love with her. I realized I cared enough about her that I didn't want to hurt her.

"I can't stay."

_Goodbye beautiful day  
That's all I have to say  
Come tomorrow I'll be gone  
I'm sorry I can't stay  
I'm sorry I can't stay_

"Wh-why can't you?" She stammered. I knew she was fighting to keep her voice down, her temper under control.

I turned back to her. Sakura was kneeling where I'd left her, blood dripping between the fingers of the hand clutching her stomach. Green chakra was glowing dimly over the wound, but her healing technique was running out of chakra to fuel itself with. She was pale, ghastly pale, and her eyebrows were furrowed.

"Why can't you just come back?"

_I'm sorry I can't stay. _

_Time always has her say  
Slowly slipping away  
It's gone now  
But somehow  
There's no telling time today_

I only watched her now. She was growing weaker, even though she was trying desperately to heal herself. Tears were dripping down her cheeks, although I took them to be tears of anger rather then tears of pain or fear.

"Sasuke-kun, I'm taking you back to Konoha!" she screamed. I only stood there, expecting her to stand and charge after me. It would've been easier if she had, because then I would've had a reason to kill her. The only thing she did was glare at me until the chakra surrounding her hand blinked out. Her breathing hardened and she gritted her teeth.

"Sa-Sasuke-kun, I want you to come with me. I want to be with you. I want you to be happy with me."

_This time I'll go away  
And I'll be gone to stay  
We all know  
We will go  
That's all I have to say_

I did nothing but stare at her. She was dying right in front of me, and the only thing I could do was stare at her.

Sakura stared back, although the light in her eyes was growing dim, like her life was leaking from her each time a tear was released.

Finally I pushed myself to walk toward her. I stopped within an inch and looked down at her. She looked up at me and sad smile twitched at her lips.

"Are you saying goodbye again, Sasuke-kun?"

_Goodbye beautiful day  
I must be on my way  
Stop the rain & ease my pain  
I'm sorry I can't stay_

A clap of thunder filled my silence and I felt a drop of rain land on my shoulder. Then another, and another, and another. I could sense another presence not too far away. Orochimaru was waiting for me; for his vessel.

I knelt in front of her, barely a hair between our faces. I kept her gaze and watched as her light continued to dim.

"Sasuke-kun, you know I still love you."

Her confession was only a whisper, and those were the last words I heard from her. My hand landed against the back of her neck and she dropped where she knelt, the muddy ground beneath her sloshing with the added weight.

I rolled her over, just to make sure she didn't drown herself while she was unconscious. And then I did a most unexpected thing, without even thinking. I lowered my lips to her forehead and gave her a small peck. I pulled away and smirked when I saw her face remain impassive. I'd almost expected her to smile in her sleep, or mumble my name when my lips brushed against her.

I won't lie and say it didn't upset me at least a little. But I wasn't being realistic.

I was leaving her again, this time forever. She still loved me, and she would hate to have to miss me. That was being realistic.

_Goodbye beautiful day  
That's all I have to say  
Come tomorrow I'll be gone  
I'm sorry I can't stay  
I'm sorry I can't stay_

I left her where she lay without looking back. My time on this earth had ended, and any chance of being with her was gone. Perhaps we could've had something. Maybe a nice wedding in the spring, or a daughter or son in the fall. Summer might've brought passionate love, and winter might have brought tender care. We could've lived our lives together until we were old and seen our children and grandchildren grow up. But then I remembered why we couldn't.

"Are you ready, Sasuke-kun?"

I looked up to see Orochimaru watching me. The Snake Sannin had a smirk on his face that I wish I could've wiped away. But there I was again, being unrealistic.

I knew my time had ended.

My beautiful day had passed.

_And all I have to say is I'm sorry I can't stay..._

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End notes: Yeah, it might be a load of crap and all of you are probably like, "Okay, what the hell was that?" but whatever. It was a spur of the moment thing and it only took twenty or thirty minutes to write. So, yeah, hope you enjoyed. And if you didn't, well, boohoo to you.


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